The present invention relates broadly to motion upholstery furniture designed to support a user's body in an essentially seated disposition. Motion upholstery furniture includes recliners, incliners, sofas, love seats, sectionals, theater seating, traditional chairs, and chairs with a moveable seat portion, such furniture pieces being referred to herein generally as “seating units.” More particularly, the disclosure relates to an improved linkage mechanism for use on motorized chairs and driven primarily from the seat mounting plate. The improved linkage mechanism accomplishes a zero-wall configuration with fewer parts and a more simplified assembly than existing mechanisms.
Reclining seating units exist that allow a user to extend a footrest forward and to recline a backrest rearward relative to a seat. These existing seating units typically provide three basic positions (e.g., a standard, non-reclined closed position; an extended position (TV position); and a reclined position). In the closed position, the seat resides in a generally horizontal orientation and the backrest is disposed substantially upright. The seating unit includes one or more ottomans that are collapsed or retracted in the closed position, such that the ottomans are not extended. In the extended position, often referred to as a television (“TV”) position, the ottomans are extended forward of the seat, and the backrest remains sufficiently upright to permit comfortable television viewing by an occupant of the seating unit. In the reclined position, the backrest is pivoted rearward from the extended position into an obtuse relationship with the seat for lounging or sleeping, while the ottoman remains extended.
Several modern seating units in the industry are adapted to provide the adjustment capability described above. However, these seating units require relatively complex linkage mechanisms to afford this capability. The complex linkage assemblies limit certain design aspects when incorporating automation, as well as adding weight and cost to the mechanism. As such, a more refined linkage mechanism that achieves full movement when being automatically adjusted between the closed, extended, and reclined positions would fill a void in the current field of motion-upholstery technology.
Accordingly, embodiments of the mechanism pertain to a novel, simplified linkage mechanism that efficiently moves a seating unit among the various positions, driven primarily using the seat mounting plate. The linkage mechanism is constructed in a simple and refined arrangement in order to provide suitable function while overcoming the above-described, undesirable features inherent within the conventional complex linkage mechanisms.